Skype, the mostly free, Internet replacement for phones and video phones, may get into online gaming.

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As part of a filing that would make the company public and allow for stocks of it to be traded, Skype detailed some plans for expanding its business. VentureBeat reporter Dean Takahashi zeroed in on the gaming part of things:

Most intriguing is the company's plan to create a better software client. This "next generation Skype Home product" will have more web functionality built into it. That will allow the company to "integrate a range of rich features including display advertising and online gaming, to be accessed and dynamically updated in the Skype software client." It will be interesting to see how Skype can "gamify" its service, or add games that keep users engaged and possibly willing to pay more. You can imagine Skype borrowing all sorts of ideas from social and casual game companies. For instance, it could charge real money for a virtual currency, which you could use to purchase time for multiplayer gaming.